What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Name: ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Address: 1 College Street, Burlington, VT, 05401, US
Telephone: (802) 864-1848
Price range: $
Rating: 4.5

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ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Vermont's innovative science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront. Visit echovermont.org or call 877-324-6386.
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Come explore Vermont's innovative science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront. Discover over 100 interactive family experiences, 70 live species, seasonal changing exhibits, 3D movies, and more. Stop by the Champ Café for coffee, drinks, snacks, and the Museum Store for fun, educational toys.

08/27/2026

🐟✨ This just in! Get a sneak peek at our Sturgeon Gala Silent Auction items! From a sunset cruise on Lake Champlain with private aquarium dining to the Ultimate ECHO birthday party (for kid or adult!) — these are unique experiences you won't want to miss bidding on.

1) Sunset Cruise & Private Aquarium Dinner
🚤🌅 Set sail on UVM's electric-hybrid catamaran Marcelle Melosira with Professor Ellen Marsden, then dine beside our 15,000-gallon aquatic gallery. An evening on Lake Champlain like no other! (Accommodates up to 20 people)

2) The Ultimate ECHO Birthday Party
🎉🔬 Science meets celebration! Bid on a fully customized ECHO birthday party — from hands-on STEM activities and turtle feedings for kids, to an ECHO After Dark experience with a glow room and live animal encounters for adults.

3) Sunset Schooner Sail & Private Dinner at Hen of the Wood
⛵🍽️ Sail Lake Champlain aboard the Whistling Man Schooner, then indulge in a chef's choice feast for 10 in Hen of the Wood's private Butcher Room. A perfect pairing of adventure and fine dining.

Learn more: https://www.echovermont.org/events/annual-gala/

08/26/2026

Congratulations to our Summer Camp Superheroes on another successful year of ECHO camp!

Over the summer, our camp staff welcomed 228 campers to the museum for 10 action-packed weeks of learning, exploration, creativity, and STEM-themed fun. This year’s programs featured special presentations from superstar guests Graham Montague, ECHO Educator Grayson, and the Lake Champlain Basin Program, as well as one very special field trip to the Birds of Vermont Museum.

Thank you to our camp team for making sure every ECHO camper has the best summer ever!

08/25/2026

⚓️ It's Navy Week in Burlington! Come check out the historical displays and presentations from Naval History & Heritage Command, say hi to Department of the Seadog Commander Bond, and more outside of ECHO on the Burlington Waterfront!

Today's schedule:
12–5:30 pm: Waterfront outside ECHO—Your U.S. Navy on Display
3:15–3:30 pm: Waterfront outside ECHO—Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Performance
3:30–4:30 pm: Community Boathouse—Free Concert by Navy Band Northeast

Learn more about the full lineup: https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Burlington-2026/

Navy Office of Community Outreach - NAVCO

08/24/2026

👋🐢Hello, baby turtles! Our Turtle Egg Incubation Station is very active these days. The video in this post shows a baby map turtle in the process of breaking through shells, dirt, and rocks before making its debut into the world. The eggs were collected from nests as part of a Vermont Fish & Wildlife nest monitoring program. Nest monitoring protects hatchlings from predation and provides valuable information to biologists. When we’re sure the babies are healthy and strong, they’ll be released into the Lake near their nest site.

Visitors can see new baby turtle arrivals over the next few weeks in our incubation station on the top floor of ECHO!

08/22/2026

🌈✨ Our team is busy planning for a special night on Friday, September 18, to transform the museum into an immersive playground and create a night to remember! We also have some surprises in store.

🎸 + 🎤 + Vermont = 1 unforgettable night. We’re not saying anything else. Yet.

You won't want to miss this celebration of wonder, discovery, and the joy of seeing the world through a different lens. All proceeds support ECHO’s mission!

Make sure you get your tickets: https://www.echovermont.org/events/annual-gala/

08/21/2026

Earlier this week, members of ECHO’s Animal Care staff ventured out into Shelburne Pond in search of black crappie, a panfish species native to Vermont. Their goal was to collect a few specimens to bring to ECHO to serve as Animal Ambassadors. Here at the museum, Animal Ambassadors play an important role in helping guests learn about the animals that live in Lake Champlain and its watershed.

After corralling fish in a hand-pulled seining net, staff examined each animal, released all non-target species—also known as bycatch—and selected a few black crappies to bring back to the museum.

It’s important to note that, in Vermont, it is illegal to transport live fish without a permit. ECHO’s Animal Care Department works closely with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife to obtain permits to collect specific species to display for educational purposes at the museum.

The new black crappies will spend the next several weeks in quarantine at ECHO. Animal Care staff will monitor the newcomers, treat for any observed parasites, and help them acclimate to their new diets, care, and habitat. When staff feel the crappie are healthy and eating well, the crappie will join our other Animal Ambassadors in the Upper River.

08/20/2026

"I'll be gone by morning" – Dinosaurs if they saw the asteroid coming, probably

Speaking of being gone, there's only a few weeks left to visit Dinosaur Safari at ECHO! Suit up in safari gear, go for an adventure in the jeep, film some TikToks and, of course, make sure to say "hello" to all the animatronic dinosaurs. Dinosaur Safari closes on September 7, so don't wait!

Thank you to our local traveling exhibit sponsor, Northfield Savings Bank.

Dinosaur Safari is produced by Omaha Children’s Museum.

DC: Sohey Sugihara

08/19/2026

🍦 August 19 is National Soft Serve Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, we’re serving up FREE chocolate or rainbow sprinkles with any creemee purchase all day* at Champ’s Legendary Creemees. Stop by our truck on the Burlington Waterfront to cool down and celebrate with a legendary, locally-produced sweet treat.

*While supplies last, August 19 only. Offer applies only to chocolate sprinkles and rainbow sprinkles. All other toppings 95¢ each. All proceeds from Champ's Legendary Creemees support ECHO, Vermont's non-profit science & nature museum.

08/18/2026

Help us welcome our newest animal ambassador—a baby Eastern Musk Turtle (Stinkpot)! 🐢This feisty little guy is now part of our back-of-house roster, and yes, he’ll expel a smelly, musky fluid if disturbed (hence the name)!

In the wild, these turtles live in weedy, still water and hold a state rank of S2 (rare) — a species of special concern in Vermont. If you spot one, report it to the Vermont Reptile & Amphibian Atlas.

Want to meet him? Book a back-of-house tour: https://www.echovermont.org/plan-your-visit/back-of-house-tours/

08/17/2026

🙏👏 Thank you to our community for voting us a Seven Days Daysies winner again this year!

✨ What makes ECHO the best?
Over the past three decades, ECHO has become a cornerstone of our community, supporting children and families in countless ways. Since 2002, ECHO has engaged more than 3.5 million people and operates 360 days per year and travels all over Vermont. Through the years, ECHO has renovated exhibits and spaces, expanded early childhood programming, embraced STEM, saved over 460 turtles in our turtle head start program, and have made a commitment to make science and the museum more accessible for all.

During just the past year, ECHO has:
👋 Welcomed 160,000 people into the Museum
🐟 Opened a new 15,000-gallon habitat for our largest lake fish
🚌 Delivered 100 classroom programs to schools across Vermont
🚚 Reached 4,500 people through our 25 traveling STEM Festivals
🍎 Taught 936 training hours to 18 educators in ECHO’s STEM Teacher Institute

We can't wait to see you! To learn more go to: https://www.echovermont.org

Address

1 College Street
Burlington, VT
05401

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

(802) 864-1848

Website

https://www.echovermont.org/

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